THE weathered faces of these Scottish fishermen tell their own story about the hardships of life at sea, but a new book reveals the pleasure of the job - and how they enjoy the spoils of their catch.

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WHO better to recommend how to cook and enjoy Scotland's fresh fish than the fishermen who catch it?

In a new project at the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther called Fife Fishermen: Portraits and Recipes, they share their culinary secrets to celebrate Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink.

Fife Fishermen was collaboration between photographer Caroline Trotter and her husband Christopher who is a food writer.

The couple worked together for a year to produce a book of 20 black and white portraits of working and retired fishermen in the East Neuk and St Andrews, along with the men’s recipe ideas.

Caroline came up with the idea after photographing a local fishermen in St Andrews.

She said: “Three years ago I photographed Jim Buttercase, just because he had such a wonderful face. I was driving past garages at the harbour in St Andrews and he was sitting in outside. Then last March I had a chat with some other photographers who were very encouraging, and they said ‘do it’. “

The project grew into an exhibition, book and even pop up restaurant in Anstruther.

Caroline and Christopher would visit East Neuk harbours and chat to local fishermen and ask how they liked to eat their fish. Some fishermen admitted they did not like eating fish, but others offered fantastic recipes for the book.

They include hot smoked salmon in white sauce with pasta and broccoli, lobster with garlic butter and hake parsley wine and lemon juice.

Caroline said: “Some of the fishermen still work, some are retired. Some of the men work as fishmongers or at the fish sheds in St Monans. They are mostly shellfish fishermen catching crabs and lobsters.

“One of the men, Ignacio Abecia, is Spanish. He moved his family across here because of the economic situation in Spain. He’s based in St Monans. He gave us a very nice recipe, cod cooked in olive oil with potatoes. “

Wullie Wood whose image on the front of the book, shared his recipe for mussels with chilli and coriander.

The 86 year old from Pittenweem said: “I first went to sea aged 14 years old and stopped when I was 58. But only because they didn’t want older men out at sea then. I was an engineer and I mended nets and we would be at sea for six or seven days at a time, sometimes 200 miles off the coast. Fife Fisherman was a great idea and I was delighted to be part of it.”

Caroline has been a full time photographer for nine years. She lives in Fife with Christopher who is Fife’s Food Ambassador and author of several cookery books including The Whole Cow.

The East Neuk of Fife has a rich heritage in fishing and its coastline is dotted with picturesque villages and harbours including St Monans, Crail, Pittenweem and Cellardyke.

Fife Fishermen will be exhibited at the Scottish Fisheries Museum until March 15 2015, before moving to The Pavilion at Elie until 12 April 2015 where a chef will cook a recipe a day from Fife Fishermen: Portraits and Recipes.

The exhibition will then be shown at Valvona and Crolla in Edinburgh for three weeks.